SEMA is only a few days away (November 3) and the Kia A1A Optima is a one-off convertible designed to let “the sunshine in”.
KIA SAYS THE Kia A1A Optima “takes inspiration from the iconic Florida A1A highway by letting the sunshine in,” but that just sounds like the marketers talking. So what is it? Well, the A1A Optima is a one-off convertible version of the new 2016 Optima and will sit front and centre on Kia’s stand at SEMA which opens on November 3.
The drop-top A1A Optima has been given a shortened windscreen and there’s room for four people. “Reinforced steel tubes have been discretely hidden within the body so that the vehicle retains a rigid structure”.
There are suicide doors at the back (meaning they hinge at the back and open at the front), “adding a touch of whimsy and fun while complementing the roadster style”. Okay. It rides on 20-inch wheels which are slung under a Ksport coilover suspension, which lowers the ride height, but Kia hasn’t said by how much.
Inside, Ssft butter-cream leather bucket seats up front and custom double buckets in the back are separated by extended armrests and a custom centre console. The A1A Optima runs the Optima’s standard 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder although a high-performance exhaust has been added which would free up a few more horses.
So, what do you think, should Kia build a convertible Optima?
